Wedding: Taylor and Trapp
WEDDING -- The gardens of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Brinkhoff were the setting Oct. 8 for the marriage of Tina Taylor and Gregory Leo Trapp. Betty Crosby, notary, officiated at the double ring nuptials.

Wedding: Wroblewski and Smith
WEDDING -- Christine Veronica Wroblewski and Sean Madison Smith were united in marriage Oct. 10 during a 3:30 p.m. double ring ceremony performed by Betty Crosby, notary, at the Serenata Beach Club.

Pile on the brooches and bows this season
This fall's mantra is "more is more." This is no time for minimalism. Even if you're thinking jeans and a turtleneck or a little black dress, clothes look freshest with girlie-girl touches of bows and brooches.

Halloween madness
Get into the spirit of the season Oct. 29, when the First Coast Technical Institute's School of Culinary Arts presents its annual pumpkin carving contest.

Community chorus welcomes new directors
The St. Augustine Community Chorus board of directors welcomed two new conductors at a reception in the home of chorus president Mike Kerr and wife, Sandi.

Jacksonville Pilots invite public to stroll through cemetery
At Jacksonville's Evergreen Cemetery Friday through Sunday, tour guides will treat visitors to stories about the lives of many Jacksonville residents buried in the historic graveyard. The list runs from famous statesmen to ordinary citizens, all with captivating tales.

Fairchild employees have 11th reunion
It was a time to renew old acquaintances when former employees got together for the 11th Annual Fairchild Reunion. It was held at Daddle Pepper's Lounge on Oct. 2 and included a ham buffet, prepared by Joe Hayes, who co-chaired the event with Chris Betts.

FCTI cafe now open weekday evenings
First Coast Technical Institute's School of Culinary Arts public restaurant, Walter's Reef Caf, recently had a "taste lift." For years, Walter's Reef Caf has been the setting where culinary students have presented cuisine masterpieces to local clientele.

Volunteer Spotlight
Cathy Brown, volunteer director, knows of several areas in the community which need volunteers. For more information about the Volunteer Center of St. Johns County, contact Brown at 827-1917 or e-mail ckbrown@aug.com.

Behavior alone does not a diagnosis of a disorder make
Are today's "experts" sometimes guilty of impulsive diagnosis-dispensing disorder (DDD)? That question came to mind in the wake of a column I recently wrote about a 4-year-old girl who was pulling her hair out, producing large bald spots on her pretty little head. Her parents had tried "everything" to get her to stop, even sending her to a psychologist (during which time the hair-pulling got worse).

People: Spears in the hot seat over lack of legal response
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A federal judge has ordered Britney Spears to explain why she failed to respond to a pre-emptive lawsuit filed by a diet supplement maker, who claims the pop star's lawyers threatened to sue for using her image without permission in marketing.

Dr. Donohue: Adults can catch infant diarrhea virus
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My baby, who is 10 months old, came down with a horrible case of diarrhea. He was so sick, he had to be hospitalized and given intravenous fluids. It turns out he had a rotavirus infection. I have another child, 13. Can that boy, my husband or I come down with this too? -- T.R.

Dr. Donohue: Make a DASH for blood pressure control
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Does being put on blood pressure medicine mean you take it for the rest of your life? I have just started taking such medicine, and I don't like the idea of having to take it forever. Is there some other way to control blood pressure? -- J.H.

Bush, Kerry battle over foreign, domestic issues in two key states
DAYTONA BEACH -- President Bush turned the tables Saturday on Sen. John Kerry, declaring "the best way to avoid the draft is to vote for me," and pledged to oppose mandatory military service. The Democrat stuck to domestic issues, blaming Bush for a shortage of flu vaccines.

FDA considers teen access to emergency contraception
CHICAGO (AP) -- Some see easy access to emergency contraception as a way to drastically reduce teen pregnancy. Others worry that its long-term effects on young women are unknown or argue that the drug, also known as the "morning after pill," encourages teens to have sex.

Pierre Salinger dies at 79; press secretary for Kennedy, Johnson
Pierre Emil George Salinger, press secretary to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson and chief European foreign correspondent for ABC News, died of a heart attack Oct. 16 at a hospital near his home in Le Thor, France, his wife said. He was 79.

Ex-Guantanamo prisoners returned to terror
WASHINGTON -- Despite gaining their freedom by signing pledges to renounce violence, at least seven former prisoners of the United States at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have returned to terrorism, at times with deadly consequences.

Young Republican is making his mark
On a typical weekend, while most people are at the movies or the beach, Jon Woodard can find himself staring at a long list of names and numbers. As chairman of the Florida Federation of Young Republicans, Woodard spends a lot of time on the phone.

Terror group declares allegiance to al-Qaida
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The most feared militant group in Iraq, the movement of terror ringleader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, declared its allegiance to Osama bin Laden on Sunday, saying it had agreed with al-Qaida over strategy and the need for unity against "the enemies of Islam."

Red Sox rally to beat Yankees in extra innings
BOSTON - Early in the morning, when most fans usually are tucked in bed, David Ortiz set off a frenzy at Fenway Park that gave the Boston Red Sox a shot at pulling off the greatest comeback ever.

Correction
A story on Oct. 9 on Page 1A about the death of Ashley Willwerth, 18, gave incorrect information about where she was attending college. She was a student at St. Johns River Community College and a campus ambassador at the college's St. Augustine Campus.

Harbor project on track for construction
The Sebastian Inland Harbor project will go before the St. Augustine City Commission and the city's Planning and Zoning Board in November, putting the development on track for construction in January.

Electoral votes draw focus from candidates
WASHINGTON -- Eight states worth just 99 electoral votes are up for grabs in the closely fought presidential race, with the White House going to whoever conquers this shrinking battlefield.

Agendas & Meetings
The Police Officers Retirement group meets 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Police Department, 151 King St.

The Great Pumpkin Hunt
With pumpkins growing out of blue wooden pallets, it's not you're typical patch -- but it gets the job done.

Virginia Adella Hunter
Virginia Adella (nee Sikes) Hunter, 88, of St. Paul, Minn., died Sept. 23, 2004 at Woodbury Health Care Center. She was a native of Claxton, Ga., and a former resident of St. Augustine for 50 years. While living here she worked at the Oldest School House.

Editorial: We benefit by thinking and spending at home
Taxes. We all pay them. Most of us don't like them. Most of us disagree on the level of the various taxes we pay, and we'll argue over the return we receive on them. Most of us grudgingly agree that some level of tax is necessary in order to receive the services we've come to expect from government.

Perspective: The wordnapping and corruption of 'icon'
The Court of Peeves, Crotchets & Irks resumes its autumn assizes with a motion from Jonathan Reynolds Cronin of Vashon, Wash. He asks the court to ban all corrupted uses of "icon." He is joined by John W. Dixon, Jr. of Cyberspace and Sally Johnson of Charlotte, N.C.

Letter: Vote Van Ghent
Editor: I was delighted when I learned that Roger Van Ghent is running for County Commissioner from District 3. He is a man who really cares about our county, its ecology, and the quality of life for its inhabitants.

Pfc. Paul Flagg is alive and well
The mystery of Pfc. Paul Flagg is solved. Thirty-seven years later, the Marine I wrote in Vietnam and then lost has materialized. He is alive and well in Sumter, S.C.

Letter: Both parties have bad people
Editor: In response to the letter by James and Michelle Weaver, the two young people who had their Bush/Cheney yard signs stolen, I absolutely share their disappointment that someone has interfered with their freedom of speech and their First Amendment rights by vandalizing their property.

Bush is good. Vote for Bush.
Editor: I read an article that said people like Bush. They like Bush because he doesn't use big words. They like Bush because he speaks in short sentences that they can understand.

Muslims watch for Ramadan
Watching for the first sliver of the crescent moon is an important responsibility in the Muslim community -- a sighting Friday night will signal the start of Ramadan at sunrise Saturday.

Injecting faith into business
DALLAS -- If you take your car to Christian Brothers Automotive, don't expect a Bible lesson while your oil is being changed.

Hockey-mad Canada braces for long winter of discontent without NHL
MONTREAL -- Instead of the beloved Canadiens, rock bands Van Halen and Incubus will be playing soon at the Bell Centre. "Hockey Night in Canada" -- must TV viewing for fans from Newfoundland to Yukon -- has been replaced by a triple bill of Hollywood films, starting off with Disney's "Dinosaur."

FSU savoring rout over upstart Virginia
TALLAHASSEE -- Wyatt Sexton solved Bobby Bowden's quarterback controversy and Florida State's defense is taking care of the other loose ends as the Seminoles head into the final half of the season positioned for another BCS berth, and with some help, a national title.

Els captures sixth World Match Play title
VIRGINIA WATER, England -- Ernie Els won the World Match Play title for a record sixth time on his 35th birthday, beating Lee Westwood 2 and 1 Sunday to earn $1.8 million in golf's biggest payday.

Winless Bills, Dolphins prepare for NFL's Basement Bowl
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- After all the big games Buffalo and Miami have played over the years, this one's unprecedented for all the wrong reasons. Two heated AFC East rivals who spent much of the 1990s battling for conference and divisional supremacy prepare for the Basement Bowl, a game Sunday between the NFL's only two winless teams.

Houston, Beltran even up NLCS
HOUSTON -- Julian Tavarez must have forgotten about Carlos Beltran when he said the Cardinals didn't think the Houston Astros were so special.

Red Sox rally to beat Yankees in extra innings
BOSTON - Early in the morning, when most fans usually are tucked in bed, David Ortiz set off a frenzy at Fenway Park that gave the Boston Red Sox a shot at pulling off the greatest comeback ever.

Fla. shipping vaccines for high-risk children
TALLAHASSEE (AP) -- Flu shots for high-risk children are on their way to county health clinics and more doses will be sent to pediatricians Monday, Florida's top health official said Friday.

In Depth: Voters face parental notice measure
TALLAHASSEE -- Floridians will get to settle the long-running battle between advocates of the privacy rights of pregnant girls seeking abortions and supporters of the rights of parents to know about them.

Paris Hilton to open nightclub
ORLANDO (AP) -- Paris Hilton knows something about nightclubs, so it makes sense that the hotel heiress is the inspiration for a handful of clubs that will bear her name.

Castor, Martinez to face off in first Senate debate
TALLAHASSEE -- Democrat Betty Castor and Republican Mel Martinez will break briefly from their increasingly bitter fight for a vacant U.S. Senate seat today for their first debate as the race heads into the final weeks.

Pensacola fetes Olympics champ
PENSACOLA (AP) -- The world's fastest human was welcomed back to his storm-ravaged hometown with a community celebration Saturday.

Gov. Bush says he won't run for president in 2008
TALLAHASSEE (AP) -- Gov. Jeb Bush said Sunday that he will not run for president in 2008, and denied a report that he knew of problems with the state's felon voter list months before it was discarded.

Masked man runs when clerk laughs
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) -- A bank clerk didn't need a weapon to ward off a would-be robber. When the masked man pulled out a gun, she just laughed in his face.

Japanese official: N. Korean missile threat abated
TOKYO -- Japan's Defense Agency Director General Yoshinori Ono says the increased activity noted since last month around North Korean ballistic missile bases and facilities had basically ended, indicating that the threat of a missile launch had abated.

Censorship increasingly looms over Russian media
MOSCOW -- When a hostage-taking at a school in southern Russia erupted in explosions last month, viewers who rushed to turn on state-run Channel 1 were treated for the next hour to a film, "Lady with a Parrot." They wouldn't have fared much better on Channel 2, which stuck to a travelogue.

No flu vaccine shortage expected in England
LIVERPOOL, England -- At a public clinic, almost in the shadow of the Chiron plant near the Mersey River, a poster says to "make an appointment today for your free flu jab."

Explosion at Kenya airport
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- An explosion at an airport in Kenya's capital Sunday slightly injured two people and caused a fire that destroyed part of a